N.j. Agrees To Enforce Child Support Orders

June 07, 1986|by GAY ELWELL, The Morning Call

The holders of support orders from Northampton County Court will no longer be able to hide from their responsibilities by working for New Jersey employers.

During Domestic Relations Compliance Court yesterday, Judge Franklin Van Antwerpen and Domestic Relations Section Director William Davison announced that New Jersey has agreed to enforce child and spousal support orders on individuals working for New Jersey employers.

The agreement, coupled with a program implemented in April that will allow Northampton County access to New Jersey records to track down those not in compliance with support orders, will be effective immediately, Davison said.

He said it was developed over six months to a year, in conjunction with Harry Wiggins of the Public Welfare, Child Support and Paternity Division of the New Jersey Department of Human Services, Joseph Landers and Raymond Rainville of the Administrative Office of the New Jersey Courts Child Support Enforcement Services and Dan Fascione and Frank Shields of the U.S. Office of Child Support Enforcement.

In the past, enforcement of support orders handed down by Northampton Countywas hampered because the orders had no effect in New Jersey. Because Northampton is a border county, a high number of individuals under court order were employed in New Jersey. Unless those employed in New Jersey submitted voluntarily to a wage attachment, their employers could not be forced to send a portion of their wages to the Domestic Relations Section.

Davison said that the necessary information will be forwarded to the New Jersey Office of Child Support Enforcement in Trenton. From there, the order will be transferred to the local court which has jurisdiction over the employer.

New Jersey will enforce not only child but also spousal support orders, according to Davison, and will attach any form of income, whether from wages or unemployment compensation, as well as employee benefits.

Although Northampton County is the first in Pennsylvania to participate in the program, which is reciprocal, Davison said other counties are also eligible to participate. Davison noted that similar agreements are being worked out with New York and Delaware.

While unable to give an exact number of cases to which the new program applies, Davison said, "We have a whole pile - dozens and dozens, maybe a couple hundred" support cases in which the defendants are employed in New Jersey.